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When do real Christmas trees go from decor to fire hazard?
Unless they come balled-and-burlapped, "real" Christmas trees aren't supposed to last much beyond Christmas. In fact, if kept too long, cut trees become a fire hazard.
"Most experts recommend that you keep a fresh-cut evergreen in the house no longer than two to three weeks. That's a very rough estimate, though, because all kinds of factors can have an impact on how quickly they dry out, including the tree's species and your room temperature," said Charles Barden, forester with Kansas State University Research and Extension horticulture programs.
Needle drop isn't always the best gauge for judging when tree decor must go.
"Douglas firs have good needle retention, even when dry. On the other hand, pines may or may not be dry when they drop needles," Barden explained. "So, you need to judge on the basis of other factors."
He outlined the factors that often shorten any type of conifer's safe use indoors:
--Shipment from a far-away Christmas tree farm (which tends to be the norm). Trees cut locally last weeks longer.
--A long stint in a Christmas tree lot, where wind and sun can dry out harvested evergreens.
--Missing a "wash-down" before being brought indoors. A gentle hosing to remove dust also helps rehydrate conifer needles.
--Not having several inches of its stump cut off before being set into water. A harvested evergreen's wound oozes a sticky pitch that soon solidifies and clogs the trunk's pores. Unless that area is removed, the tree can't rehydrate when put in a water-filled tree stand.
--Running out of water while on display. Worst case: When a tree dries beyond a certain point, it won't rehydrate, even if it looks green and its tree-stand water is replenished.
--Being set within 3 feet of a heat source. Vents and registers generate both heat and "wind."
"Other rough gauges include how the needles act, when handled. Dry needles lose flexibility. If you try to wrap them around your finger, they snap, rather than bend," Barden said.
Once trees dry out, they must leave the house immediately, he said. Until they're disposed of properly, they shouldn't even lean against an outside wall.
"Dry evergreens are very flammable," the forester warned, "and they often do not burn alone."
Date: 1/2/04
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